Information regarding I-9 compliance

Feb 12, 2014From staff reports

The following information was sent in a memo from Interim Chief Human Resources Officer Paul Sundberg to increase awareness of an essential federal compliance issue and to ask your assistance in ensuring that Ohio University is 100 percent compliant. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Form I-9 is used to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. One of our responsibilities as an employer is to correctly complete and retain a Form I-9, verifying identity and eligibility to work in the United States, for every employee. This can be a challenge because we employ a large number of people in a variety of ways.

Although newly hired benefits-eligible employees generally complete the Form I-9 during the full day orientation from University Human Resources (if they attend orientation on their first day or sooner), we must rely on department representatives for compliance with most non-benefits-eligible employees including new student employees. To be fully compliant,

1. the employee section of the form must be completed on or before the first day of employment, and
2. the employer section must be completed correctly, including verification of work authorization documents, within three business days.
If this does not occur, the employee may not continue employment until the Form I-9 is completed. Please make certain that completed I-9 forms are sent to the Payroll Office where the forms are retained electronically.

If your area’s individual designated to complete the I-9 forms has not had training, resources are available to guide them through proper form completion:

If you have questions, you may call University Human Resources at 740-593-1636. When in doubt, please call. Non-compliance can result in penalties of up to $1,100 per violation; unlawful employment penalties can be up to $16,000 per alien plus criminal penalties. Please distribute this information to all relevant employees in your area. Thank you.